Chapter 216

Father and Child

(TL: General Gazelle and Count Anderson . . . )

"What did you mean by that . . . ?"

I feel that I can't finish to understand the words that my son whispered while sighing .

"No, I just thought . . . that Mary have brought it upon herself . "

"Because it's you we're talking about father . . . you probably talked to us when young . . and inadvertently it lead to Mary's story . "

Do not say that you are not sorry for your daughter .

Cold and cold . . . Count Anderson with an expression similar to his wife, serious but a soft face unlike his father General Gazelle, said to him .

" . . . Well, because she's sensitive to the smell of fighting and is a great strategist, probably somehow that feeling got deep in her skin, so trying to conceal it from her family has been in vain"

"I do not agree to that!

"And here is another point: From the very beginning I am not blaming you father, anyway, your sense of fighting is the same as that of a wild beast . . . and even if Mary is a girl, you taught her . "

Well, is not it to be blamed?

. . . . . . Whenever frustration overcomes me, I remember that it seems to have been nothing so far compared to her having to hide all of her true self away .

"Oh . . . Well, that's right, rather it is a matter of how she shares the information to her family and how she decides to move afterwards . "

" . . . Well, her children are adults now, they will understand her circumstances, their relationship will not change very much . "

"Yeah . . but with the war approaching . . it's better if she opens up to her family . . as she has been many times already in previous battlefields, she knows better than others how to organize the soldiers . . we need her . . . "

"Thinking that way, it would be better to share everything she knew to her family more than half-assed information, the information is life, if you grasp it wrong, you could misjudge the battlefield and the more you grasp it, the greater the survival rate . The Duke of Almeria's territory will be the focal point of attack as it's currently the richest place of the entire kingdom . . it's better if she shares all her knowledge with them, so that it doesn't increase the hardships . "

"I know! . . . I know, but I do not feel like she should be involved, even if her knowledge surpass us . "

I laugh at my son's words .

My son is worried . . . about Mary .

By the way, from a long time this pair of brother – sister had a good relationship .

" . . . By the way, Father, when the war against that country officially starts, will you lead the army?"

"Well, it doesn't matter if it's me or not, but . . . the possibilities are high, I have to coordinate with land intelligence too and it is difficult to say by myself what will happen, but as you know, our existence will raise the morale of the troops, so I think Prince Alfred will appoint us . Best of all, considering the talents in the current army and the state of this country . . . I think there are no others . . . "

"Prince Alfred sent a message saying that he will lead the military together with us but I suppose you will be grasping the control of the troops . The less confused, the better he said . "

"Well, if it's like that, there is no more to say . . . will you go too?"

"No way, I'm not good at martial arts . . "

"Martial arts is it?"

At those words, Count Anderson didn't answer anything, just a bitter smile floated on his face .

Probably if you're strong, you will be able to accumulate many accomplishments on the battlefield .

It is a military with such thoughts .

If you can fight in fact, it doesn't matter if you're Mary the general or Mary the duchess, or Count Anderson or a low soldier . . . your ability is what counts .

" . . . Well, good, in case of emergency, I will ask for absence and come help . "

"Okay"

"Also, do not ask for Mary's help . "

" . . . I can not imagine that help would be needed for me"

I was worried, but . . with a bitter smile on my face .

"Well, do not say . . . In case of emergency, there is nothing better than having someone to count on, which makes us certainly stronger . . . That's why we need as many soldiers as you can obtain . Even those escorts that have somewhat exercised, but, be sure they are people you can trust . "

"Indeed . . . I certainly need to start recruiting people . Even so, father you surely are sweet to Mary . "

"I don't want to hear it from you, Mary is a lion when she gets angry, and she didn't say anything to her family yet, if we let her exposed . . . I can't think of the consequences . . . "

My son laughs sonorously, without denying nor affirming my words .

"Although it is certainly impossible to think that the training that father had given to her is fruitless . . . . She has already been married for many years and became a Duchess at that . . . she doesn't have so much strength as before having lived so many years as a noble lady . "

"Well, it's in her blood already, Mary has more talent than us for war and she never left training . . . no matter if married or not . . . what different is there for you?"

"No . . . Of course there's not, she's a pretty sister to me and that has not changed . "

"Okay . . . then, I asked everything . "

"Yeah"